Ahhhh Lavender, the beautiful, calming smell of lavender. I have yet to meet someone who doesn’t enjoy this fragrant purple flower, but do we know all of it’s benefits to our health and skin?

Lavender is an herb native to northern Africa and the mountainous regions of the Mediterranean. The herb is highly regarded for skin and beauty. Lavender oil is believed to have antiseptic and anti-inflammatory properties which can be used to help heal minor burns and bug bites. Research has revealed that the essential oil of lavender may also be useful for treating anxiety, insomnia, depression, and restlessness. More studies even suggest that lavender can help digestive issues such as vomiting, nausea, intestinal gas, upset stomach, and abdominal swelling. Also, in addition to helping with digestive issues, lavender is used to help relieve pain from headaches, sprains, toothaches, and sores. It is also used to prevent hair loss and repel insects.

WOW! This flower sure does have a lot of power packed into that purple bud.

Lavender is most well know for it’s fragrance. It’s calming, relaxing, clean fragrance helps soothe us to sleep and calm our nerves. But the list keeps going…lavender is good for urinary disorders, respiratory disorders, cancer, blood circulation, digestion, immunity and of course skin care. This herb is a wonderful ailment to many issues we face daily.

Although Lavender has amazing benefits, there are a few precautions that we all need to be aware of.

Risks and Precautions

The U.S National Institutes of Health (NIH) warns people to be cautious when combining lavender with the following:
• Barbiturates – lavender may increase the sedative effects of these drugs and make people feel very sleepy.
• Benzodiazepines – mixing lavender with benzodiazepines can similarly increase the sedative effect of the drugs.
• Chloral hydrate – lavender increases the effects of chloral hydrate – causing extreme drowsiness.

A study published in the New England Journal of Medicine revealed that repeated topical use of lavender oil may cause prepubertal gynecomastia, a condition which causes enlarged breast tissue in boys before puberty. “Topical” means applying onto the skin.

In addition, the safety of taking lavender during pregnancy or while breast-feeding is not completely certain – if you plan to use lavender treatment during pregnancy or breastfeeding tell your doctor.

As lavender is thought to slow down the central nervous system, doctors advise patients to stop using lavender at least 2 weeks before surgery.